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Adventure Comics Vol 1 48
| Synopsis6 = While looking around director Solly Lloyd's estate, built to resemble a medieval castle, Socko Strong is trapped by Monte Swift, his movie rival, in a stone pit which is rapidly filling with water! But Socko suddenly gets an idea. He dives for the bottom and finds the outlet that drains the water, currently covered by a heavy lid. Straining with his last ounce of strength, his lungs about to burst, Socko succeeds in opening the drain! The water quickly rushes out, pulling Socko along with it through a subterranean channel that opens out under the bank of a river near Solly's estate. He paused on the bank to gather his breath, then headed back up to the house to find out who tried to kill him! Meanwhile, Monte Swift was smoking a cigar out on the veranda when he decided to head back to the pit and find out if Socko was dead yet. Opening the hatch, he finds the water level was getting lower, and Strong was nowhere in sight! Hearing a voice behind him, he whirls around to see Socko standing there with an angry look. Monte is pushed into the draining pool, being warned to stop his mad attacks or else. Next day, at the studio, Socko and Jerry were standing by chatting about Swift's dirty attacks. When Socko and Monte were called on to pose for some movie stills, the studio electrician's little daughter watches with interest from the sidelines. Overhead, the guide-wire supporting a heavy arc light suddenly snaps, causing the massive lamp to plummet down towards the child! The entire crew stand frozen in horror, except for Socko, who rushes forward at great speed! With one arm, he swings the child out of danger, the light crashing to the floor where she stood a second later! After holding his daughter tight, the electrician takes Socko off to one side to tell him something. Monte Swift had paid him a large fee to cut the strings on the parachute he was supposed to use in the next scene. But after Socko had just saved his daughter, the electrician felt inclined to warn him. Socko tells him to make sure that both parachutes are in perfect condition for the next scene, as he just figured out how to pay Monte Swift back... Later that same day, the film crew go out to the airport where two planes are being prepped for the scene, one for the actors, the other for the camera crew. The scene is explained, the plane would catch fire and Socko and Monte were supposed to struggle on the wing until Monte was pushed off. Director Lloyd reminds each of the men to count to ten before pulling the ripcord on their parachutes. The plane carrying Socko and Monte takes off, followed closely by the plane carrying the camera crew... When they fly up to an acceptable height, Solly tells Socko via headset to pull the lever that activates the fire. Following the script, the actors struggle on the wing of their plane while smoke spirals upward! Socko sets up his bluff by informing Monte that he switched parachutes with him. This causes Monte to go into a panic. He clings to Socko, begging to let him use his parachute, not realizing that both chutes were actually in working order. But Socko just smiles and says that he was supposed to push him off, and seconds later Swift finds himself hurtling to the ground! Panic-stricken, he pulls his rip cord almost without any hope... and to his surprise, it opens without complication! Socko passes him by in his own chute, and when they reach the ground, he tells him that he learned about the cut cord earlier and thought that invoking a little fear in Swift would do him good. With one mighty punch, he sends Monte sprawling into the mud where a family of pigs were lying. | Synopsis7 = Steve Conrad and his assistant and friend, Chang, are guests on a ship bound for Singapore. They were standing by the railing enjoying the cool sea breeze, when Steve notices a woman near the bow of the ship that looked remarkably like notorious jewel thief, Singapore Sal. A gentleman was standing beside her, and they seemed to be chatting up another couple, though at that distance Steve couldn't hear what was being discussed. Sal and her companion disappear into the Salon, leaving Steve and Chang to wonder at what she wanted of the couple. For now, they decide to return to their cabin and get ready for dinner. In the dining room, Steve and Chang sit at a table where they can keep a watchful eye on Singapore Sal, who was dining with the couple Steve saw her with earlier. The man wore a monocle, and seemed considerably older than the woman, who wore many diamonds around her neck. Sal's motives became more clear to Steve, now. If he and Chang didn't do something soon, Steve was pretty sure that the jewels would find their way into Sal's possession... When the dancing begins, Steve takes Chang aside and hands him a note to slip into Singapore Sal's state-room and wait around for her reaction. If they were lucky, it would scare her away from whatever she was scheming. Chang does as he's told, and then waits inconspicuously for Sal to return. As day turns to evening, Chang pretends to be watching the sunset as Sal and her partner, answering to Slick, part for the night. She enters her room and seconds later, Chang hears her scream. 'Slick' comes running back across the deck to her aid. Inside the room, she shows her companion the note she found. It was a warning to her not to pull any job on this ship, reminding her about an event that happened "last time" on the China Sea. Sal's attitude changed into despair when she read the initials at the bottom, S.C. Steve Conrad. She told Slick they had better give up on the entire plan, but he only got angry at her, calling her a coward. He didn't know or care who Steve Conrad was, and he wanted to go through with the heist of Colonel Bradford's daughter's jewels, worth at least 50 grand... The whole exchange had been heard by Chang, standing outside the door, and he now hurried back to warn Steve of the man's continued persistence. The stars twinkled in the night sky as the ship sails onward. Steve and Chang are outside, keeping watch over the Bradford's cabin. Suddenly, a shadowy figure is seen rushing out the door carrying a bag. They move in to intercept the thief, but he surprises them with a swift strike, knocking Steve to the ground, then running up the steps to the upper deck! Though the crook was able to get away, Steve had managed to rip a piece of fabric from his lapel, along with a strange piece of cord. However, when the two of them went back to question Singapore Sal, she informed them that she had been spending the entire time convincing Slick, who sat beside her, not to continue on the heist. Steve noticed that Slick's lapels were intact, proving he was not the man they had just encountered. But then who was the mysterious thief? Early the next day, the crew is gathered around Miss Bradford's cabin as she screamed that her jewels were missing. The ship's captain comforted her by reminding her that the diamonds were insured, though he also announced there would be a reward for anyone who found the thief... And then, Steve Conrad suddenly had an epiphany! He knew who the thief was, and if he was right, the culprit would return later today to retrieve the jewels from their hiding place! He waited on the upper deck... Hours passed, but he was absolutely certain that he was right. Sure enough, a skulking figure made a move for one of the life-boats, recovering a bag that was hidden inside... Steve leapt out of hiding and tackled the jewel thief! This time, the element of surprise gave him the advantage, and the man was easily subdued. The captain found Colonel Bradford all tied up in front of the wheel-house minutes later, with a note pinned to him saying it was he who stole the jewels. At their cabin, Chang asked Steve how he knew it was the Colonel. Steve showed him the cord he had ripped off the thief the night before, explaining that morning when everyone was standing around the Colonel's cabin, he noticed that Colonel Bradford wasn't wearing his monocle. How could he, when the cord was in Steve's possession? The Bradford were a duo that often committed insurance fraud. The diamond necklaces and rings were all insured for a large sum of money, and the Colonel and his daughter put on an act in order to collect... But now they would have to work it all off instead behind bars. | Synopsis8 = The old man's nephew, Angus McHeather, turned out to be a little, but tough, man. He goes along with Rusty and the gang, back to the old mansion to try and decipher his uncle's dying message, "Behind Stevenson". Along the way, Rusty tells of the murder of the bodyguard by the poisoned dart, and the strange appearance of the dwarf, Tino. Angus has no explanation for the odd events, his uncle never told him much about his dealings. Once they arrive at the mansion, the boys notice that the lights are on... Someone had gotten inside while they were out! A glance through the window reveals the figore of Tino the dwarf and two men, trashing the study as though they were looking for something. The boys wondered what to do, and then Angus speaks up and tells them that they were going to go inside kick the intruders out! Following Angus, Specs and Tubby grab a pair of lances from the suits of armor in the entrance hall to protect themselves. The four of them burst through the door of the study! Surprised, Tino and the larger man drew his gun, but Specs and Tubby tossed the lances and knocked the firearms out of their hands! The third, a well-dressed gentleman referred to as Zoroff, vowed to Rusty and company that they haven't seen the last of him! The enemy gone, Angus and the boys quickly bar the doors and windows! Rusty then brings their attention back to the puzzle at hand, namely the last words of the old man, "Behind Stevenson". Looking at the bookshelf, Specs suddenly figures it out! What if the old man was talking about a book? "Stevenson" could refer to an author, and if they looked behind the book, they might find something. A search through the shelves and Rusty finds what they may have been looking for, "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson. When he pulled it out, he saw a small button hidden at the back of the shelf. At first nothing seemed to happen when it was pushed, but then a section of the wall behind them slid to one side, revealing a secret passage. After the boys followed Angus down it's long dark passage, they discovered a desk with a small chest, out in the open as though it were calling out to them. Opening it, Angus finds an old leather diary that his uncle had once used. In his excitement, Angus's grip slipped and the delicate chest fell to the floor, a piece breaking off that was covering a hidden compartment with a paper inside! What did the journal and paper contain? Why was Zoroff so eager to find it?? | Synopsis9 = The Coast Guard, in their efforts to smash a clever dope ring, enlist the help of Lieutenant Commander Don Kerry due to his resemblance to one of the smugglers, Joe Madson, whom had recently been apprehended. A make-up artist fixes Kerry's face with a false nose and mustache. The idea was to have him pose as Madson and find out who was heading the dope operation, then gather as much information as he could about how they were sneaking the dope past customs officials. The word has been passed along to the press that Joe Madson was released from jail, and then Don was sent off to Madson's apartment to await a call from the boss. To keep up the charade, Don had to be very careful who he talked to so as not to be discovered as a phony. Several times, he had to send someone away, or cancel an appointment with one of Madson's lackeys. When Joe's wife came bursting into the room to see him, Kerry had to resort to kicking her out before she noticed anything strange. It all paid off by the time he received the visit he had been hoping for. A lackey had been sent over to take Kerry, as Joe Madson, to see "the boss". He is taken to a nearby post office and up a freight elevator to a room where a shady-looking businessman sat behind a large oak desk. He tells Kerry, in his disguise, that the usual mail plane was delivering the drugs over that afternoon, but someone else would be temporarily filing in for him. He's told to lay low for awhile, until things cool off. With a sly grin, Kerry leaves. Now he knew that the smugglers were using the federal mail aircraft to sneak past customs unnoticed! That afternoon, the mail truck that met the plane is followed back to the post office by Don and the coast guard. They notice that the carrier only took three bags into the post office, when he actually unloaded five off the plane. As Don continues to watch, the man carries the other two bags up the very same freight elevator he had been led onto earlier that day. When the truck driver descends on the elevator, he finds a surprise waiting for him as the coast guard officials grab him and tie him up on the floor while they take the elevator back up. The doors open and they swarm the area, Don finds the dope ring boss attempting to make a run for it while firing his gun. He keeps Kerry in his sights as he backs up towards the elevator doors. But what he doesn't see is the empty shaft beyond, the driver having manipulated the elevator lever with his feet, thinking he could get away. Kerry tries to warn the boss but the enraged kingpin refuses to listen, and the next thing he knew, he was falling down the empty shaft with the sounds of screaming exiting his lips. The coast guard captain remarks that it wasn't a pretty sight, but it did mean the end of one of the most vicious and cleverly concealed dope rings of all time... | Synopsis10 = After rescuing Deela from the First Ones, and then in turn being rescued by her, Cotton guides their flier over Vulture Mountain, into a strange valley. The small craft's motor begins to emit a long hiss as it starts to drop rapidly, its two passengers clung onto the steering wheel in their attempt to guide it into a soft area... The valley had been spoken of by Deela's people, rumors that a path to the upper world, Cotton's home, was hidden somewhere within. Upon closer inspection they discover that everything, from the trees to the soil, was completely petrified which meant there would be no food or water anywhere to be found! But since it was too risky to go back through the land of the First Ones, Cotton and Deela decided to continue forward. The day grows short as they trek onward until Deela gets weary and falls to the ground, so Cotton set up camp for the night. They sat together by a fire and talked to get their minds off how famished they were. The more he spoke with Deela, the more Cotton realized that he wasn't as anxious to go back to his own world as he once was. But Deela was eager to see the fantastic land above, and she wanted Cotton to show it all to her... Eventually, Cotton and Deela came into a lush, full-of-life wilderness. A sense of great joy and relief came upon them as they picked a yield of berries from the bushes and hunted a good large animal to cook over a fire, then finally, their hunger had been satiated. Cotton carves up the surrounding branches to build himself a bow and uses the guts from the dead animal to make a strong bow string. The two of them journey further across the valley's ever-changing landscape, when up ahead they see a great chasm billowing puffs of steam from the hot geysers down within. The puzzle of crossing the boiling pit without getting burned momentarily arises. In an instant, Deela is attacked from behind by an ape-man carrying a club! Cotton whirls around in shock just in time to get clunked on the head by another ape creature's club! Carrying their captured quarry over their shoulders, the ape-men skillfully drop thousands of feet into the crevice where they make their territory. The bouncing from rock to rock jolts Cotton, though he remains still to fool the creatures. Then, once they reach the ground and are released from the ape-men's grip, Cotton fires his last round of ammunition at their backs! Afterwards, he takes Deela in his arms and escapes to a spring, where she is revived by a sip of cool water. They make their way, in a rush now, to a stairwell carved into the side of a huge mountain that rose into the clouds! Curiosity with a sense of adventure guiding him, Cotton climbed the steps with Deela following behind him. The stairwell led into a cave emitting intense heat. The cause was found to be a pool of glowing magma below, revealing they were really inside a great volcano! Even though Deela wanted them to turn around, Cotton continued following the rocky stairway. Up and up they went, the heat combined with the noxious fumes exhausting them by the time they reached the opening at the top. Cotton took a glance around. It was the surface world! He was home! His last thoughts were of relief before collapsing to the ground alongside Deela... | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Adversaries: * Randall * John Kennedy Other Characters: * Mary Kennedy * Marcia Van Shelton Locations: * ** ** Items: * Vehicles: * None | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Inspector LeGrand Adversaries: * Other Characters: * Jean LeGrand Locations: * Items: * None Vehicles: * None | Appearing3 = Featured Characters: * Steve Carson Supporting Characters: * Adversaries: * Professor Dirk * "Blimp" Carlyle Other Characters: * Bennie Mason Locations: * Northville Items: * None Vehicles: * None | Appearing4 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Adversaries: * Doctor Fulton * Mae Trust * Mrs. Holt * Judge Quick Other Characters: * Locations: * ** *** Items: * None Vehicles: * Yacht | Appearing5 = Featured Characters: * Johnny Nevers Supporting Characters: * Ed Stevens Adversaries: * Curtiss Darnell Other Characters: * Doctor James Trent * Captain Joe Baker Locations: * Items: * None Vehicles: * Coast Guard Cutter | Appearing6 = Featured Characters: * Socko Strong Supporting Characters: * Jerry Indutch Adversaries: * Monte Swift Other Characters: * Solly Lloyd Locations: * ** Items: * None Vehicles: * Airplane | Appearing7 = Featured Characters: * Steve Conrad Supporting Characters: * Chang Adversaries: * Lucy Bradford * Colonel Bradford * Singapore Sal * Slick Other Characters: * Locations: * Singapore Items: * None Vehicles: * Cruise Ship | Appearing8 = Featured Characters: * Rusty Supporting Characters: * Specs * Tubby * Angus McHeather Adversaries: * Zoroff * Tino * Karl Other Characters: * Locations: * Unknown Items: * None Vehicles: * None | Appearing9 = Featured Characters: * Don Kerry Supporting Characters: * Adversaries: * Fester * Joe Madson Other Characters: * Admiral Adams * Captain Wells * Franchot Locations: * Unknown Items: * None Vehicles: * None | Appearing10 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Deela Adversaries: * Ape-Men Other Characters: * Locations: * Unknown Items: * None Vehicles: * Air Flier | Notes = * "Origin of the Hourman" is reprinted in Justice League of America #96 and JSA All Stars Archives #1 :* Hourman's enhanced abilities include not only speed, strength, and durability, but greatly improved night vision. * "Death to the D.A." is reprinted in Golden Age Sandman Archives #1 * Aside from the stories above, this issue contains: :* Butch the Pup :* "The Diddle Family" by P. Gustavson | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = * Adventure Comics #48 index entry * Adventure Comics #48 spoilers 1 * Adventure Comics #48 spoilers 2 }}